About React to Racism On Friday, March 21, 2014 thousands of people around the world will participate in a global discussion to end racism. This challenge is inspired by the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which is marked every year on March 21. React to Racism 2014 Partners React to Racism 2014 is brought to you by the Winnipeg Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD), the Province of Manitoba Multiculturalism Secretariat, and the Government of Canada. Our partners include the Newcomers Employment and Education Development Services (N.E.E.D.S.) Inc, Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties (MARL), Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning, Manitoba Human Rights Commission, Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba (TRCM), and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre. Resource Research and Design Tony Tavares, Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning 1
Anti-racism Toolkits Diversity Education Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning This website is dedicated to providing educators and youth with a multiplicity of resources related to diversity and equity education. It encourages educators and youth to get involved in social justice issues and to be the change that makes the difference in our community and schools. Antiracism Resource Kit Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre and Calgary Committee on Race Relations and Cross Cultural Understanding This resource kit brings together many of the anti-racism teaching resources and includes lists and detailed descriptions of books, websites and videos which address issues of racism. The kit also provides an evaluation tool that can be used by teachers and students to examine current books and lesson plans through an antiracism lens. The kit is divided into four sections: the Evaluation Tool; Books; Websites; and Videos. Diversity Tool Kit Darren Lund, University of Calgary This site is part of a funded project to assist teachers, students, scholars or activists who wish to promote equity and the acceptance of differences within schools and communities. This work covers a large and diverse range of approaches, interests, and fields of study and action, offering a variety of online resources, funding sources, glossaries, examples of projects, and selected readings to help you get started. Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for Creating Inclusive Learning-Friendly Environments United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization The toolkit promotes and provides guidance on how to create an inclusive, learning-friendly environment (ILFE), which welcomes, nurtures, and educates all children regardless of their gender, physical, intellectual, social economic, emotional, linguistic, or other characteristics. They may be disabled and gifted children; street or working children; children of remote or nomadic peoples; children from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities; children affected by HIV/AIDS; or children from other disadvantaged or marginalized areas or groups. This toolkit contains an introductory booklet and nine booklets (including three specialized booklets), each of which contains tools and activities for self-study to start creating an inclusive, learning-friendly environment. Some activities ask the reader to reflect on what his/her school is doing to create an ILFE, while others guide the reader in improving his/her skills as a teacher in a diverse classroom. 2
Antiracism Toolkit: Educational Activities for Use in Workshops and Classrooms First Nations Education Steering Committee (British Columbia) Unlearning prejudice, eradicating discrimination and enhancing intergroup harmony has been the focus of work for many educators and researchers. From this work has risen a body of research that to a great extent tells us much about what works and what does not work in the context of schools when it comes to improving intergroup relations. A review of the research in determining what pedagogical strategies work best in enhancing intergroup harmony identified a number of school and classroom interventions that have been shown to be effective in reducing prejudice and preventing stereotyping and discrimination. The activities in this toolkit parallel these educational strategies. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario Lesson plan ideas targeted at kindergarten to grade eight from We re Erasing Prejudice for Good that educators can use to celebrate March 21 in their classrooms, schools, and communities. RaceBridges for Schools O Halloran Diversity Productions (USA) Ideas, tools and resources for teachers who want to explore diversity and race-relations in the classroom. The site offers lessons, resources, and stories for teachers. Related sites are racebridges.net and RaceBridgesVideos.com Diversity Toolkit National Education Association This online toolkit provides an introduction to the multiple facets of diversity. It offers basic information, a short list of strategies and tools, and suggestions for how to find out more. The toolkit provides resources on several topics, including: Class and Income Cultural Competence for Educators English Language Learners (ELLs) Gender Race and Ethnicity Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Social Justice 3
Racism. No Way! NSW Department of Education and Communities (Australia) The Racism. No way! project aims to assist Australian school communities and education systems to recognise and address racism in the learning environment. The site features teaching resources developed by teachers and students, including e-challenges, fact sheets, information on cyber racism and videos. Safe@School Ontario Teachers Federation (OTF) and the Centre ontarien de prévention des agressions (COPA) The goal of the Safe@School project is to foster just such innovation and cooperation, highlighting best practices that feature COPA s unique and constructive approach to violence prevention and the creation of safe, strong and free schools and communities. All components of the Safe@School project are also available in French. The Safe@School website offers teachers and the educational community a repertoire of relevant resources, as well as three different professional learning modules. These interactive modules were developed using COPA s unique and inspirational approach to prevention education and are based on the latest research and best practices for creating healthy and safe school environments. They are: Bullying Prevention Equity and Inclusive Education (focus on homophobia, racism and sexism) Parents and Guardians: Partners in Prevention STARS Anti-Racism and Indigenous Education Resource Blog Student Teachers Anti-Racism Society (STARS), College of Education, University of Saskatchewan STARS developed a resource blog because although the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education has mandated the inclusion of Treaty education and First Nations and Métis content across grade levels and subject areas, they recognize that not all teachers have access to the resources and knowledge needed. The site says, We also believe that including First Nations and Métis content in classrooms on its own, without anti-racism education, is extremely problematic. This practice takes attention away from the processes that cause, justify and normalize the oppression, exploitation and objectification of Indigenous peoples and knowledge. We believe that anti-racist and decolonizing education, when woven together, can create humanizing and emancipatory change for everyone. 4
Students Taking Action Against Racism Toolkit Diversity Education and Resource Services of Abbotsford Community Services (British Columbia) This toolkit is to raise awareness of racism and other forms of discrimination to students. The toolkit helps students lead activities with fellow students their school. Teachers Toolkit (MARL) Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties MARL s mission is to promote respect for and observance of fundamental human rights and civil liberties and to defend, extend and foster the recognition of these rights and liberties in the province of Manitoba. MARL has initiated a local Human Rights Education Program to support secondary school curriculums and youth leadership in human rights initiatives within the City of Winnipeg. MARL offers lesson plans, resources for teachers, and more. MARL also offers a Youth Leadership in Social Justice program focused on challenging and encouraging youth to take up leadership roles within their own schools and communities to create on-going momentum towards active involvement in the promotion of human rights. marl.mb.ca/toolkit/youth-leadership-social-justice The Star Project School of Medicine and Dentistry at James Cook University (Queensland, Australia) The STAR Project website offers information and resources such as information on racism in healthcare, ways to stand against racism, and smart answers to racist talk. Teaching Tolerance Southern Poverty Law Centre (USA) This site is described as a place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools. It provides free educational materials to teachers and other school practitioners in the USA and Canada. Their teaching materials have won two Oscars, an Emmy and more than 20 honors from the Association of Educational Publishers, including two Golden Lamp Awards, the industry's highest honor. Scientific surveys demonstrate that our programs help students learn respect for differences and bolster teacher practice. 5
The Kit - A Manual By Youth To Combat Racism Through Education United Nations Association in Canada The KIT is an anti-racism resource created by youth for youth. The KIT came together through a national project of the United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada) called the Youth Forums Against Racism. Around 100 youth between the ages of 14 and 26 participated in a series of regional forums held from May to July 2001, where participants recommended what they would like to see in a youth-focused anti-racism education model. Then a team of eight youth, representing each of the regional forums, had the difficult task of combining their peers recommendations into one idea. They chose and developed, with the help and input of their regional colleagues, what became the KIT. Class Action... A student s guide to Human Rights Manitoba Human Rights Commission This site is designed to help students become involved with human rights, helping them explore questions like: Where did Human Rights come from? How do I find out what my Human Rights are? Do students have Human Rights? Why should I care? On the site students can watch and listen to what other students are talking about, or use social media to connect and learn from others. There s also a quiz to find out how much you know about human rights. The Teacher's Guide to Diversity The Education Alliance at Brown University This teacher's guide invites professional developers, teacher educators, and teachers to examine their beliefs, perceptions, behaviors, and educational practices with respect to diversity in education. Two follow up professional development volumes that integrate research, activities, vignettes, and resources for further exploration are also available: Volume I: Human Development, Culture, and Cognition explores how a strong knowledge of human development, culture, and cognition can inform educators' work with an increasingly diverse student population, Volume II: Language addresses how educators can support language proficiency for students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. 6
Youth Action - Social Justice Groups The Freechild Project This site advocates, informs, and celebrate social change led by and with young people around the world, especially those who have been historically denied the right to participate. They do this by facilitating training and workshops, and through the website. kickaction.ca This site is an online community of young women acting for social change across Canada. A space for young women seeking to express themselves and connect with others as well as members of Girls Action Foundation's Young Women's Network, kickaction.ca is a platform to blog, discuss in forums, access resources, profile creative work and find inspiration to be a changemaker. TakingITGlobal This site is one of the world's leading networks of young people learning about, engaging with, and working towards tackling global challenges. It offers information for youth action groups and educators. Teacher Action - Social Justice Groups Manitoba Teachers Society Action Cohorts The Teacher Action Cohorts are Manitoba Teachers Society members who are trained facilitators. These volunteers are available at no cost to teacher associations and public school staffs. TACs facilitate teacher voice and learning through the activity-based workshops. British Columbia Teachers Federation Social Action Groups The British Columbia Teachers Federation s province-wide social justice network includes six social justice action groups. Each action group is composed of four members from the provincial Committee for Action on Social Justice (CASJ), and they are all classroom teachers. The purpose of the action groups is to provide information, lesson ideas, and professional support for classroom teachers. Each action group creates discrete web pages covering the areas for which they are responsible. 7
Anti-racism Groups National Organizations The Students Commission The Students Commission has created a proactive forum for youth to direct public policy. Their voices have been heard; national reports are presented to the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, cabinet ministers, provincial premiers and business, education, community and labour leaders across Canada. Among their activities in anti-racism, the Students Commission has developed workshop materials for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation The Canadian Race Relations Foundation aims to help bring about a more harmonious Canada that acknowledges its racist past, recognizes the pervasiveness of racism today, and is committed to creating a future in which all Canadians are treated equitably and fairly. League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada B nai Brith Canada s team of dedicated volunteers and professional staff is engaged in combating antisemitism, bigotry and racism in Canada and abroad. B nai Brith s wide-ranging educational and social programming, community and volunteer services, and human initiatives reflect the organization s commitment to People Helping People. Manitoba Ka Ni Kanichihk Ka Ni Kanichihk provides a culturally safe environment where the greatness and gifts of all peoples are honoured and where our cultural practices and values are practiced and Aboriginal people can just be who we naturally are. The organization has been active in antiracism education. The website provides information on programs and resources they offer. Northern Canada The National Inuit Youth Council The mission of National Inuit Youth Council is to benefit all Inuit youth through the strength of their voice and action. It commits to work with its elders and other partners in the preservation and strengthening of the Inuit language(s) and culture, and provide opportunities for young Inuit to attain their dreams and visions. Native Friendship Centres Native Friendship Centres strive to improve the quality of life for aboriginal peoples in an urban environment by supporting self-determined activities which encourage equal access to, and participation in, Canadian society; and which respect and strengthen the increasing emphasis on aboriginal cultural distinctiveness. 8
Western Canada Stop Racism and Hate Collective Developed by the Canadian Anti-racism Education and Research Society (CAERS), a frontline antiracism organization, established in British Columbia that provides a variety of different services. Among these, CAERS offers anti-racism workshops and training in non-violent solutions to racism and hate group activity. It also provides workshops on cross-cultural, equity and diversity issues and institutional change. CAERS has a strong youth component to many of its programs and initiatives. The website features all forms of resources from videos to news. The Calgary Centre for Culture, Equity and Diversity The Calgary Centre for Culture, Equity and Diversity (CCCED) is an organization dedicated to enabling leaders, practitioners and citizens to be more effective in their diversity work. CCCED delivers a range of diversity development services to individuals and organizations. Atlantic Canada Multiculturalism Association of Nova Scotia (Youth Against Racism) Youth Against Racism's Train the Trainer Initiative started in 1996, and has been supported by schools across Nova Scotia. This is a youth-run project and students receive anti-racism and leadership training. The Multicultural Association of Nova Scotia (MANS) recognized the need for youth to talk to youth about racism. MANS was the driving force behind Bill 9, the Act to Promote and Preserve Multiculturalism in Nova Scotia. Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia organizes activities to raise awareness of black history from a local and global perspective. It offers an interactive type of outreach through its website, and promotes the many events that happen at the Black Cultural Centre on a regular basis. Pride of Race, Unity and Dignity Through Education Inc This organization is dedicated to the full participation of the Black community in the social, cultural and economic fabric of mainstream New Brunswick life. This is to be achieved through a public education program, which focuses on the historical contributions of the Black community in New Brunswick, and by a self-education program, which emphasizes dedicated personal service and leadership in meeting current needs in the community, and in preparing youth for the challenges which they must face in the future. 9